Friday, October 29, 2010

"Bruiser" ,the cat, running across the grass. He's one of the homeless cats that "lives" here in the apartment complex. From what my next door neighbor says, he's been here at least 10 "human" years :) :)

Hi everyone.....I'm BACK. Oh my goodness, I've missed blogging. Today was payday, so I bought myself a new flashdrive to store photos :) :) I deleted Picasa off of my computer, so uploading photos is much slower. Hmm...maybe I should rethink Picasa? Not sure yet...anyway, here is the Mystery Dishcloth Knit-Along from "Rachel's Knitting Corner" Click here to pay her a visit. She always has a new project every month. One of my blogger friend's follows her site...and I happened to see the blog button....hmm...knitting and mystery..equals a really good time :) :) :) So this one is special for October.

The lighting was a bit off for some reason. I did have to "lighten" up some of the photos a little bit. Here is everything all at once, so you get an idea of the progression. Everyday you get only SIX rows to knit...agonizing but so exciting at the same time...because you have to WAIT till the next day for more instructions.

Day 1 - October 18th, 2010 (Monday)

Day 2 - October 19th, 2010 (Tuesday)

Day 3 - October 20th, 2010 (Wednesday)

Day 4 - October 21, 2010 (Thursday)

Day 5 - October 22, 2010 (Friday)On this day I couldn't find my row counter. So I grabbed an envelope off my dad's desk..an envelope from a bank statement. He didn't mind that I used a piece of unwanted mail for something "useful". ..so envelope and pen in hand, I simply wrote down the rows as I finished them...a bit time intensive, but necessary for keeping track of which row I'm on.

Day 6 - October 23, 2010 (Saturday)

Day 7 - October 24, 2010 (Sunday)

Day 8 - October 25, 2010 (Monday)

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﻿ Day 9 - October 26, 2010 (Tuesday)I should have chosen a slightly darker yarn. The message is a little hard to see...however if you look hard enough it says "UR BOOTFL"..YOUR BEAUTIFUL :) :)

It's really nice to be back. I've missed three weeks of my photo challenge. So some of the photos I managed to save on a disk, others no...so I'll have to come up with something. I'll be posting those this weekend sometime...What have you been up to this past week? God is really teaching me some patience...apparently I have "zero" when it comes to my computer :) Then again, God is giving me strength at work, too :) :) Well, that's about it for the moment.

Oh quick note, check out this really cool new magazine I discovered awhile back. "Create and Decorate" magazine. I'll be talking about it some more later this week...I just wanted to tell you about it. It's got EVERYTHING a crafter could want...and I mean EVERYTHING. The December 2010 issue arrived in the mail a few days ago...and I've been "oohing and ahing" ever since :) :) That's the news from Oregon today. Bonus love and hugs, Heather :)﻿

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Good morning. I'm sitting at the computer trying to furiously type before I have to go to work...also trying to eat a bowl of gluten free happy oh's, too :) I don't eat a gluten free diet, am thinking about it...but I just love the taste :) :)

So tea is different today because of the virus problems I had with my computer. I have photos to share, but I need a USB port so I can save them, then upload them to my blog. That'll be another week or so...

However, I'll tell you how I started drinking tea. You all know by know, I think :) :), that my grandmother used to have tea and goodies EVERY day about 4 p.m. So on those summers when I was with her ,that's what I'd have. However, when I lived in Germany, I had a Scottish friend that lived on the ground floor and I was on the first floor (2nd floor in the USA)...everytime I'd come over for a visit, she'd offer me tea.

She had this electric "water cooker" that heated up the water in no time flat...so quick. So we'd always have tea and chat etc...and this is ALWAYS the order of items that went into the tea..NEVER EVER any other order....milk or cream, sugar, then tea ;) :) :) So that's really where the tea habit started...that and having it at all my meals with friends.

We even developped a phrase, when we had something to talk about and it would take awhile..."That's a cup of tea story"..Why? Tea always tooks a good while to drink...and so does a good story or serious story...whatever the case may be :)

Well, ladies...that's it for the moment. I need to run off to work...feeling much better today. That's the news from Oregon. Love and hugs, Heather :)

Monday, October 25, 2010

Mama Kitty somehow managed to climb up the wall and sit where you see her here. She was pampering herself...and my dad and I jokingly think she was trying to get away from this male cat...not sure about that. It was just so odd and funny at the same time...to see her here :)

Hi everyone...oh, I thought computer nightmares were over. Well, last night our computer was attacked by what I can best describe as a rogue cloud trojan virus thing...multiple boxes one after the other with the name "Think Point" on them...NOt sure how it happened..but it took us over 4 hours to fix...and I ended up getting sick, too...still feel sick this morning and am staying home from work today only!!!

So I just wanted to warn you. I don't know much about computer viruses except they're mean and nasty. If you get any email from me with no subject line, DO NOT ANSWER IT. I always leave a subject line in my emails. Also if I send a link to a website...and that's if...99% of the time I'll post it here...I will ALWAYS leave an explanation.

One of the things I did was to delete Picasa from my computer. It's not clear if that was a source for the problem. However, I'm using another photo editing software exclusively now. It takes longer, but it's so much safer!!! The first photo of Mama Kitty is me practicing adding text with this particular software program....and everything works great. This second photo was just random to see how many photos I can upload...As it turns out, I can upload quite a few and select which ones to add to my blog post ;) :)

Now I'm just practicing with photo and text placement on my blog. This photo of the vintage truck was taken sometime earlier this summer.

That's it for the moment. It's really cold today and I'm starting to freeze...so it's probably time to turn the heater on :) :) :) :) Oh....because of the problems with my computer...it really messed up my photo challenge stuff for the last three weeks...so I'll be playing a lot of catch up this week. So keep your eyes out for that :) :) :) Thanks for praying for me, hanging in there with the computer grumblies...and for encouraging me in prayer and your friendship. I'm one blessed young lady for knowing all of you !!! That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Feel free to borrow this and share it on your blogs, on Facebook or with your friends and family :) :)

Have a great Sunday everyone :) :) It's RAINING here in Oregon today. It is really dark outside and even though it's 8 a.m....it's looking more like 6 a.m.

I did have trouble uploading photos from Picasa directly to Blogger today. So I had to save it to my USB port and then upload it that way :) That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :)

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Hi everyone, I emailed the person in question to let her know what was happening. She said that her computer had been compromised a couple of months ago and that is when my spam emails started arriving. She said she always puts something in the subject line. I've just been deleted th email. She said thank you for the info :) :) I'm so glad I decided to tell her instead of blocking her...Well,I did block her and then unblocked her...I"m also marking those spam emails as "spam", so they go right to a junk box!!! Okay, I'm off to get some breakfast. That's the news from Oregon. Love and hugs, Heather:)

Hi everyone...How are you? I'm fine. I worked today and now I"m home knitting and reading magazines etc. oh, I don't even have a photo for today. Sorry. Oh, I just experienced my first blog disappointment. One of the blogs I had been following, I had given my support and trust..and I don't want to give too many details yet...unless everyone asks...then maybe...but instead of returning the favor what I have been receiving are a load of junk emails and spam from this person's blog email address. So I stopped following the blog and that person is now "blocked" from my site. The straw that really broke the camels back was when I get one of countless emails from said person...and it's nothing but a "link" to some unknown site. Of course, I NEVER click on links like that...but this one had next to the link...how to lose weight and get in shape. Not only did I find that slightly offensive, but also in very poor taste....and besides, had absolutely NOTHING to do with the person's blog. Not only that, this same blogger, had sent me a friend request to Facebook via my email...and no, I automatically deleted that. I don't know why this is happening...but I took what steps I could to protect myself from this as well as protect my blogger friends...because if it happens to me, it could happen to you...and I "love" you all and consider you friends :) :) Anyway, I am annoyed...officially...right at this moment...

Well...not totally annoyed....because I've been knitting...so I've been relieving a lot of annoyance that way :) :) I'm participating in this month's mystery dishcloth knit-along over at Rachel's Knitting Corner. Click here to check it out. It's just knitting instructions right now...but you can see some very cute photos of other mystery dishcloths that are now finished projects.

Hey....please forgive me for my down tone today....I just am annoyed when I give something to someone in trust...and that trust is abused!!! I'm trying to keep a joyful and trusting spirit and not lose that...remembering that God will help me get through whatever difficulties I encounter...Otherwise, I'm doing fine....That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Hi everyone!!!!How are you? How is your week so far? My week has been really good so far. I didn't have to work on Tuesday, so that was really nice to be able to sleep in...till 7:30 a.m. :) :) :) Oh, I purchased some really cute yard sale stuff the last few weeks that time hasn't permitted me to share...until now :) :)

This first piece is really neat. I actually first saw this back in July when I posted about my very first yard sale finds of the summer. This was at a neighbor's yard sale. I passed on it because I wasn't sure. I went to another yard sale two more times during the summer at the same neighbor's home. The last time I was there...goodness, must have been about a month ago...and I passed on this item because I wasn't sure. As my dad and I were driving home, I cried...because I felt like I should have bought it. Well, here comes the best part...last weekend, we're driving home and I notice this very same neighbor is having another yard sale ...AGAIN!!!! So hope against hope, we stop...and it was still there...What is it? Take a look below...

This is a Tropic-Aire heater with fan. It still has the original plate on the bottom and it was made sometime in the 1950s and in pink :) :) :) The plug still works, although I may buy an extension cord with a switch and use that, too. Oh, what did this sweet little item cost? Only $5. This was meant to be, especially since I passed over it three times :) It works very well. It's also really dirty inside, so it does need some cleaning!!!

One of the things I've noticed about myself is how emotional I get over certain things. There was another yard sale where these two old ladies where selling all sorts of really cool craft stuff...including a three-ring binder of "Family Circle Weekend Craft" patterns. They wanted $3 for it and I only had $1...so I couldn't buy it. I cried then too...not realizing I had $2 in my purse ;) :) Oh well....so I've never found another one, but I"m keeping my eyes out for it. In the meantime, these next items I found at another yard sale...really, really cheap. God is so good...this craft book was in much better condition and also came complete with the patternpieces in envelopes!!! There was also a really nice, old hardcover of Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework. The craft book some of you might recognize American Pastimes - A Treasure of Old-Time Crafts and Ideas. Oh this has fantastic things from woodworking to quilting and baking. Does anyone know if craft binders like this are still being published? I think this is so nice to have...Anyway, I'm thrilled with these finds too!!!The "American Pastimes" craft binder with complete with pattern envelopes was only $1....and the "Complete Guide to Needlework" was only $0.50. What a special on both items. The needlework book was published 1979 or 1980...and while some of the patterns are old...the tips are not....and I don't think Reader's Digest publishes a hardcover of this book anymore either...so from that perspective it's a real treasure. Plus hardcover books last longer...:) :) :)

Below are some photos of what was in the craft binder as well as the needlework book. That's my handwriting on the envelopes...because I wanted to know what pattern pieces where in which place ;) :) :)

The seven pattern envelopes complete with necessary pattern pieces to complete most of the projects in the "American Pastimes" craft binder :) :) This is so cool...I can't even tell you how cool it is ;) :)

Here's the pattern for the design on the front cover!!! The pattern pieces for the doves and the heart are in one of the craft envelopes :) :) :)

Here's a cute little pink with flowers and ribbon to cross-stitch.

Here's a little history about quilting get-togethers :) :) :) I've never been to one...but someday I'd love to go!!!

....even recipes for making various herbal vinegars...:) :) :) Now I don't know if I'll ever use this in particular, but I do like being prepared for just about anything...as much as I can be, anyway :) :)

Here were some gift tag templates...to go along with the section on gift-wrapping present :) :) :) How cute are these!!!!

Part of good homemaking is cooking...and here is a recipe for challah bread...LOVE challah bread. I used to eat something very similar quite a bit when I was in Europe!!! It's so tasty...especially when it's fresh out of the oven :)

Oh, I LOVE quilting....LOVE it...even though I"ve only completed one quilt so far. There is something so talented and beautiful about ladies who can put fabric together to create something beautiful...This is one of things that really reminds me of America and everything good about our country :) :) Random....I know...but still true :) :)

I love that this craft book also includes some basic woodworking projects!!! It might be fun to take a woodworking class sometime. I also have an old project book from the 1940s that shows how to make a sofa out of chairs from an old Model T automobile :) :)

This is one of the pages in the quilting section about making log cabin quilts. Oh, LOVE log cabin quilts...something very American about those too...!!!!

Those are my yard sale finds for the moment. I'm hoping this won't be the last yard sales of the season. We'll have to wait and see!!! Last week, we were playing a type of "Survivor" game at work b etween the various teams and apparently the group I work in WON THE GAME :) :) :) That was a total surprise. Everyone on our team won a gift...and here's mine...well, what's lef t of it..This basket came with gourmet covered popcorn, sesame garlic chips, peach salsa, chocolate malt balls and chocolate gingersnap creme cookies...yummy...everything eaten...Yummy, yummy, yummy I got love in my tummy :) :)...This super-cute basket is all that's left. This was FREE....I'm now using the basket for some of my yarn and it looks really cute. I'll make sure to post a picture this week.

I'm also a huge fan of Mary Jane's Farm magazine and the website. There's a farmgirl sisterhood that you can join. It's kind of like the Girlb Scouts for adults :) :) You earn badges for all sorts of things. In any case, I just joined and I'm so excited. This was the cover of the file folder that came in the mail last week :) :) This is so cool....and I can't wait to earn some badges. I'm officially a Mary Jane's Farmgirl Sisterhood member #2176 :) :) :)

This was the front of the really cool file folder that arrived in the mail with some of my basic membership information :) :) :)

Well, that's about it for the moment. My father is cooking dinner...I'm typing at the computer. Then I'll go and organize my scrapbook full of ideas, craft projects, recipes etc. Oh, I just recently subscribed to another cool new magazine called "Create and Decorate" Click here to check out their website. It's fantastic...and there are all sorts of great projects. I can't wait to receive my first issue in the mail :) :)

I've been coming across some really neat websites lately....so I'm going to try and make more of effort to share those with you. I think anything that is good from front cover to back cover....should be mentioned...and whatever brings my heart joy and encourages those good things in our hearts...we all should know about that. Thanks ladies for all your prayers and godly encouragement!!! It means a lot...and your comments too. If you need prayer, let me know. I'd be happy to return the favor :) :)

Oh, one last thing...I'm participating in a new mystery dishcloth knit-along over at Rebecca's Knitting Corner. Click here to check it out!!! This is better than watching tv, unless it's "Anne of Green Gables" :) :) :)

Monday, October 18, 2010

Hi everyone...how is your week so far? Mine has been busy at work and challenging, too :) :) It's Tuesday and that means tea ;) :) :) I shared this photo with you a week or two ago. I love tea and I tried this Tazo "Passion" tea that was sent to me by my friend Linda at Prairie Flower Farm :) :) It was really good and was just perfect for an evening in front of the tv.

Then there are the kinds of tea that you wish you could have every day...like this...or a Victorian tea or something fancy and beautiful because we're ladies and we deserve it ;) :) Besides that, I've always LOVED pink...next to red of course :)

My grandmother would always serve tea with her wedding china. I always felt so special and grown-up while sharing tea. We'd share stories and talk about life etc...plus, the preparation of tea was fun too. I'd watch her bake some goodies or buy them...didn't matter. I just had fun spending time with her :)

...then there's the Daddy version of tea...hee hee hee...we bought these on a lark one day in the store. They are only $0.99 and we LOVED the name..so we bought them. Now whenever I ask Dad if he wants tea, this is what he goes for. It's not exactly what I had in mind, but that's okay :) :) :) I did manage to get him to drink from an actual tea cup once. It had soda pop. Next time, I'll make sure and take a photo of it :) :) :)

Stay tuned on Wednesday because I'll be showing off some yard sale finds....there's some pink in tomorrows post ;) :) :) That's the news from Oregon. Love and hugs, Heather :)

This sweet photo comes courtesy of Prairie Flower Farm. Please click here to go pay Linda over at Prairie Flower Farm a visit. You'll be glad that you did :) :) :)

I'm sure you all know how Blogger does weird things with pictures sometimes. Well, everytime I upload one from my USB port, like this one up above, it always wants to center everything. So the photo is now where I want it..but the text is still centered. Oh well...that's okay :) The photo is so beautiful, don't you think?

Oh, I have some super cool yard sale stuff to share with you this week. I wanted to get the post up today, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. So keep your eyes out for it. I'll be posting my yard sale treasures either late tonight or on Wednesday!!!! Oh, of course, do make sure and stop by for tea :) :) I love sharing with you all from my humble home...and visitors are always welcome :)

Well, I'm off to work...and today I feel the need for some delicious coffee with lots of sugar!!!!! Have a great Monday everyone. That's the news from Oregon. Extra love and hugs, Heather :)

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Feel free to borrow this and share it with your friends and family on your blog or on Facebook. Just make sure to link it back to my blog. Thanks :) :) :)

I know I've posted this one already...just forgot to make a new one for this week. There'll be a new one next Sunday :) :) :) I hope you all have a great Sunday!!! That's the news from Oregon. Love and hugs, Heather :)

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Happy Tea Tuesday..... I really love this day a lot. Today is what I'd call "random" tea. This first photo is of something I picked up at a yard sale awhile back for $1. It's missing the lid. It's actually quite large with two handles. It kind of remind me of an overgrown sugar bowl. Do any of you know what it is or what it would have been used for? I may actually turn this into a vase....not sure yet.

I purchased this for the backstamp. I don't remember what's particularly special about the Johnson Bros. However, the name is familiar...so it goes to my home :) :) :)

Awhile back I won a lovely giveaway over at Prairie Flower Farm. One of the items was some tea, so last week, I actually decided to drink some tea. First step in drinking tea is to choose a saucer and cup. Doilies aren't required...but everything looks good with a doily :) This is what I chose...

Next step is to choose some tea. Here is the tea that Linda at Prairie Flower Farm sent over :) :) I LOVE Tazo teas...and this was really nice...a fruity, floral mixture. It smelled and tasted delicious.

Boil up some water. I like a full 8 ounces of water per cup of Heather's tea :) :) :) So add the tea bag to the water ....let steep for a little itty bitty...and voila...a nice hot cup of tea ;) :) :) I drank this late one night. Hmm..maybe I was watching "Dancing with the Stars"?

Here's another "random" tea thing. It looks like a miniature creamer. It's very old and was passed down to me. The only reason I posted it was because the color reminded me of some other pieces I had seen on another blog :) :) :) So I thought this would be a fun little piece to show off!!!

That's it for tea today. Thank you for stopping by for a visit!!! I love it when you stop by and leave comments!!! Have a great day everyone!!! That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

Monday, October 11, 2010

Hi everyone....Oh, I'm late in posting photos again. Here are my photos for the last two weeks. I'm participating in the 365 Day Photo Challenge over at Practical Simplicity Photography. Click here to pay Miss Antoinette a visit. Her photos are fantastic...and she's just a lovely person!!!

Saturday ~ September 25th, 2010 I love coffee and this super cute mug was purchased at a yard sale for just $ 0.25.

Sunday ~ September 26th, 2010 I always carry this with me when I'm at work.

Monday ~ September 27th, 2010 These are some special straight pins that were made in Germany. These belonged to my grandmother and they're still in the original paper packaging with the original stamp on the outside. I don't remember what was special about these...I think they were made out of steel and might have belonged to my great-grandmother. They're special to me.

Tuesday ~ September 28th, 2010 Would you care for a cup of tea?

Wednesday ~ September 29th, 2010 The landscape here is slowly changing. Four years ago this was an empty field.

Thursday ~ September 30th, 2010 I was attempting to "style" my tea cup.

Friday ~ October 1st, 2010 I saw this scene while out looking for yard sales.

Saturday ~ October 2nd, 2010 This was another yard sale find and the candles are battery-powered tea lights. So cool. They almost look like the real thing!

Sunday ~ October 3rd, 2010 This was the way the sky looked about 7:30 a.m. My dad and I were at the grocery store picking up the Sunday newspaper. I love how the rays of the sun are peeking through the dark clouds.

Wednesday ~ October 6th, 2010 This photo was actually taken a couple of days earlier...the same day I received that super cute gift of JOY from Linda ) :) I love the tag. It's so cute...and pumpkins...yum!!!!

Thursday ~ October 7th, 2010 This photo was actually taken last Sunday. I just had to post this too...and there wasn't anything photo worthy today!!

Friday ~ October 8th, 2010 Oh, part of this old Vassar Company fabric measuring tape from the early 1900s. It was used for measuring union suits and underwear.

That's about it for the moment. Work is keeping me busy and I may have to go to just blogging two days a week, until I'm layed off from work again. I think I'll make blogging on Tuesdays and Sundays a "for sure" thing...any other days..it'll have to be as I can put the posts together :) Hmm..still not sure about that. It requires prayer. That's for sure!!!

Thanks for visiting this blog :) :)

Thanks for visiting my blog :) I love Jesus Christ, anything romantic, pretty, Victorian, country or any combination of those :) I love crafts and saving money. As time goes on I hope to add more interesting things to this blog. Enjoy and have a wonderful day! Feel free to leave a comment, as long as it's kind. All the photos are mine. If you would like to borrow them, please ask me first. Thanks so much. Greetings from the Northwest :) :)